As one decade ends and other begins, it’s fun to look back at the way we wore and speculate on what future fashion brings. We talked with experts in hair, beauty and fashion to get their perspectives.

Charlie Price, owner of Click salon and the runner-up on season two of “Shear Genius,” is working with Revlon on a professional product line to be launched in salons in 2010. It will debut in Europe in April and come to the US later.

While he liked the Hollywood glamour that ruled in the 90s, he’s drawn to the freshness of the long bangs and androgynous bowl cuts that both men and women – especially trendsetting musicians like the Horrors — are wearing right now. “There’s more styling and it looks good,” Price says.

As far as trendsetters go, he’s big on Lady Gaga. “In terms of actually doing something good and reinventing, once you see the whole package, she’s the best thing to come out since Madonna.”
He also likes the way “older women are being celebrated and showing there is beauty at any age.” Helen Mirren is an example. Meanwhile, the low celebrity moments of the decade belonged to such people as Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie and any of the “Real Housewives” shows, he says.

Paula Begoun is the author of “Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me” (now in its 8th Edition) and runs the website cosmeticscop.co, which covers the beauty industry
Beauty products have come a long way in a decade, but there’s still plenty to be wary of, Begoun says.
“We know more about sunscreen usage, there are very impressive formulations and there’s immense reseach on antioxidants,” she says. From Botox and collagen to now more than 30 different materials that can be injected, there are a lot of options, she says.The bad news, she says, is “the endless launch” of products touting organic and natural benefits, which amounts to “fear mongering, making you afraid of synthetic ingredients.” Natural ingredients can cause adverse reactions as easily as natural ones, she maintains.
And remember that for all the great stuff on the market, “there are no skincare products that come even fractionally close to what a dermatologist or plastic surgeon can do” to improve your skin, she says.
Going forward, look for products with more and more potent antioxidants and stability, as well as injectible substances that have more staying power, and better lasers, she says.

Sharon Graubard is senior vice president for trend analysis at Stylesight, an online provider of trend content, tools and technology for creative professionals in the fashion and style industries.

The years between 2000 and 2009 saw fashion looking back, but also fostering individuality, Graubard says. “Designers looked at past in new ways, throwing in 60s hippies, 70s disco, 80s punk, little bits of 90s grunge. And when it came to the 80s, it wasn’t the era of “Dynasty” that was created, but a “gritty, dangerous view.”
Still as she thinks of the decade’s color palette “it was pinks and oranges — warm, spiritual colors,” along with gray and black.
She likes the return of romanticism in menswear. “We haven’t seen it in a long time. ” Guys wearing softer bow ties, longer hair, skinny jeans, black boots, and scarves are the trendsetters.
Going forward, she sees the trend to eco chic fabrics and sustainable practices growing. “We’re moving away from just the idea of an organic cotton T-shirt to caring about the way something is made and where it is made.”

Add this to your fall must-do list: see “The September Issue.” Forget what you saw in “The Devil Wears Prada;” this is the real thing. A documentary about the making of Vogue magazine’s biggest publication ever — the September 2007 issue — the film chronicles Anna Wintour, Vogue’s legendary editor, as she oversees production of the 840-page behemoth. Her famous iciness and withering glances are much in evidence as she critiques photos and addresses staff, but viewers are also treated to the smiles and charming side she shows to ad reps, retailers and designers. Director R.J. Cutler and his camera follow Wintour and creative director Grace Coddington as they attend designer previews and shows in America and Europe. We also see Anna at home with her daughter Bee Shaffer. And for comic relief, there are scenes of editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley playing tennis, talking about his outfits, and his contributions to the magazine. What’s fascinating about the movie – besides the peek into Vogue’s legendary fashion closet (the shoes, the bags!, the racks of couture!)— is the insights viewers get into the creative process. Coddington’s vision and passion for what she does could earn her a best supporting actress award. But she’s not acting. “The September Issue” opens in Denver Sept. 11.

A gathering that includes a disproportionate share of hairdressers and their clients is guaranteed to be an event heavy on style, music and merriment. So the crowd assembled on Vinyl’s rooftop Saturday for a sunset fashion show marking the third anniversary of Matthew Morris’ salon rocked their summer tans and tattoos along with some chic minidresses and designer jeans. Towering sandals and high-top sneakers, oversized aviator sunglasses and straw fedoras were the accessories du soir. Morris, in a pale pink jacket and jeans, gave props to backer Roger Herman and his wife Kim, chief stylist Stanley Thompson (looking cute as a blond) and Buffalo Exchange’s Liz Eckland, who pulled together the fashions in the show from her store, along with contribs from couturier Gabriel Conroy.

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The all-black-and-white show was an amalgam of edgy (leather hot pants, a pearl necklace that doubled as a blouse), schoolboy bad (guys in rolled shorts, tight button-downs and ties) and retro (black dresses with shoulder pads and nipped waists). And then there was the hair.

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Props to the army of MM artists who fashioned elaborate styles with chignons in the back and curls framing their faces, plus frizzy pompadours. Giving the women’s looks a European runway touch and aura of intrigue were light nets worn over their faces. Morris said his inspiration was “1920s Paris, silent movies, black and white, tuxedoes, Edward Gorey, vintage Pierrot, peg dolls and Siouxsie Sioux. The event was a benefit for the Volunteers of America’s Brandon Center, with a portion of the proceeds and silent auction revenue going back to the charity. More at voacolorado.org

Aspen is a shopper’s paradise, its quaint streets lined with chic independent boutiques and high-end European retailers like Gucci and Brioni. On a recent trip, we discovered that merchants in the mountains are experiencing the same sales slowdown as stores everywhere. So Prada and Zegna, Ralph Lauren and Fendi have slashed prices on their current season goods.
But the real designer-hungry bargain hounds know there’ are a couple of other places to find deals in Glamour Gulch. We always check out Susie’s Limited, a consignment store for women’s (and men’s) clothing, accessories and home furnishings. The store was packed with skiwear on the day we visited, including some killer parkas from the likes of Prada and Postcard for about $200 (at 75 to 90 percent less than retail, who cares if they’re a season or two old?) as well as snowboard jackets from Burton and Roxy. We also spied styles from hometown favorite Obermeyer and technical designs from North Face. There was a whole rack of snow pants, another of one-piece suits and a row of great base layering pieces. When we finally pulled away from the snow wear, it was to peruse the designer jeans assortment, which skews to smaller sizes in an array of styles from such makers as Joe’s and J. Brand, AG and True Religion. Several pants still had their tags on, a sign they came from local boutiques. The shoe rack held some cute flats from Tory Burch (not our size, drat!), and the designer clothing rack boasted looks from Dolce and Gabbana and Jean Paul Gaultier. Not everything is uber-stylish — you’ll find some great basics from the likes of J.Crew and Banana Republic in the mix, too. Susie’s, 623 E. Hopkins, 970-920-2376.
Also check out Gracy’s, 312 E. Hyman; 970-925-5131. The assortment isn’t as wide as Susie’s, but you’ll get deals.

Hairdressers are notorius for being cutting and Charlie Price is no exception. One of the owners of Denver’s Click salon, Price is in the spotlight as a contestant on season two of Bravo TV’s “Shear Genius.” He’s funny, talented and ambitious, qualities that helped him land a spot on the show and make for entertaining viewing. Only one episode has aired so far, but Charlie is already taking swipes at judge Kim Vo and dissing some of the competition. (Of Vo, he told us, “He only has one expression. His face freaks me out.”)
Everyone we talked to in Denver about Charlie has done a hair show with him, trained with him or worked with him in a salon. Either the business is more incestuous than we suspected or he’s just become a fixture. He founded and built Planet Laboratories, has done fashion shows in New York and Europe and has won big awards in the hairstyling world. But did that experience adequately prepare him for reality TV?
Charlie has the chops to go a long way, but in “Shear Genius,” as with other Bravo staples like “Project Runway,” you never know if the judges will reward creativity or punish it. Kelly Atterton, west coast editor of Allure magazine, liked what she saw of Charlie’s work in the first challenge. “You took a risk and made us laugh,” she said of the blue haystack he created on a model’s head to make her look like Marge Simpson.
However it turns out, Charlie said in an interview that he’ll never again spend his own money to do a runway show or other promotion. “Those days are over,” he said, noting that if his services are desired, a designer or hair products company can pay.
So what do you think his chances are?

Leigh Taylor Armstrong: A graduate of Westminster School in Simsbury, Ct., where she was a class officer each year, Leigh will attend her parents’ alma mater, Southern Methodist University. In high school she was an honor student, varsity volleyball captain, a member of the John Hay Society, Black and Gold, and the Westminster Belles. Her summer plans call for a trip to Russia, working as a nanny and volunteering at her church. Read more…